Casing head and blow out preventer



.May 3, 1932. .1. D. NIXON -CASING HEAD AND BLOW-OUT PREVENTER Filed June 20, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 4 a 3 22:: 5 wT/f 0 VV \s 5% 8 M U N 1 //A 5 3 52 2:2: 2 5

y 1932' J. D NIXON 1,857,101

CASING HEAD AND BLOW-OUT PREVENTER Filed June 20, 1931 Sheets-Sheet 3' Patented May 3, 1932 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JEDDY D. NIXON, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN ENGINEERING COR- POIRAATION, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, A OORPORATION OF TEXAS CASING HEAD AND BLOW OUT PREVENTEB Application filed June 20,

be accurately located, and held, in the well l and packed to prevent the escape of the well fluid up around said tubing through the head.

Another object is to provide a device of the character described which will serve to prevent blow outs while drilling.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character which may be readily adapted for use in servicing a well Another object is to provide a novel type of adapter for retaining the tube packing in place and novel means for retaining the adapter in the head, said adapter being shaped to receive slips for engaging and holding the pipe or tubing therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved type of packing.

With the above and other objects in view, this invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where- Figure 1 shows a vertical sectional view of the apparatus as used when drilling.

Figure 2 shows a vertical sectional view thereof as employed while servicing a well showing the adapter locked in'place.

Figure 3 shows a plan view of the form shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 shows a vertical sectional view of the apparatus as adapted for use for anchor- 1931. Serial No. 545,696.

ing the tubing of a pumping or flowing well in a fixed, or adjusted, position in a well.

Figure 5 shows a cross sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 4, showing an improved type of packing employed, and

Figure 6 shows a vertical sectional view of the apparatus as adapted for use in suspending said tubing in a well.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures the numeral 1 designates a casing in a well bore and attached to the upper end of which is the casing head 2 having the inside, annular, downwardly converging seat 3 and the inside, annular, upwardly facing shoulder 4, spaced above the seat 3.

Beneath the seat 3 the casing head has the connections 5, 5 provided for the attachment of flow lines thereto.

On the seat 3 may be located a suitable annular packing, designated generally by the numeral 6 shaped to surround the drill stem '7 while drilling operations are being carried on, or the tubing 8 while the well is flowing or being pumped or serviced. When the weight of the drill stem 7 or tubing 8, is on said packing it will be expanded both against said stem or tubing and against the walls of the casing and form fluid tight joints therewith to prevent the escape of fluid past said packing. A special type of packing for this purpose has been provided. This packing is composed of an intermediate ring 9 of rubber, or other resilient material, which is open at one side only. On the upper and under sides of this ring are the metal rings composed of the arcuate, complemental sections 10, 10 and 11, 11. These rubber and metal rings are shaped to fit closely in the head 2 and to closely surround the stem 7 or tubing 8 and the lower metal ringis beveled to conform to the shape of and to seat'on the seat 3. Bolts 12, 12 and 13, 13 are fitted up through the ring sections 11, 11 and through the ring 9 and mately one half. of the ring 9, opposite the openside thereof, free of the ring sections 10, 11, and this construction will give the packing the required flexibility and will permit the completed ring to be readily opened when it is desired to place the same around or remove it from, a stem or tubing. On opposite sides of the joint at the open side of the packing the sections 10,- 10 have the sockets 16, 16, to receive handles for opening and handling said packing. When the packing is swung open the free portion of the ring 9,"

opposite its open side, will move freely relative to the rigid metal rings above and be: low, forming, in effect, a hinge to permit the ready opening and closing of the packing.

In carrying on drilling a packing '6 is seated on the seat 3 around the drill stem 7 and in case a blow out is threatened the stem may be manipulated to land a 3 suitable coupling 17 thereof, on the packing, as shown in Figure 1. The weight of the stem will compress this packing ring 9 out against the walls of the casing head and against the stem 7 and form tight joints therewith, the bolts 12, 13 sliding downwardly through the rings 9, 11 to 'permit this, and when the gas pressure has been relieved through the connections 5, and flow lines connected thereto or when the pressure has for any other reason sufliciently decreased in the well, drilling operations may be resumed.

In servicing a well, as for example, in pulling the pump tubing, or flow line, the packing 6 is removed and an adapter is seated on the shoulder 4. This adapter has a substantially cylindrical external surface and is formed of two sections 18, 18, arcuate in horizontal cross-sectional contour. The adapter has an inside downwardly tapering seat 19 whose lower end is flared, as at 20. The seat 19 is provided to receive suitable tubing slips 21 provided to engage and hold the tubing 8, beneath, suspended while it is being made up or broken up in going into or coming out of I the well.

Each section of the adapter has an external groove 22 therearound, arcuate in vertical cross section, said grooves registering. Opposite these grooves the head 2 has the vertical slots 23 spaced apart therearound, four slots 23, being shown and on opposite sides of each slot are the external ears 24, 24. There are the hold "down rods 25 having the eyes 26, and suitable bearing bolts 27 pass through operations the .swung into its lower position, said dogs 28 then serving to lock the adapter sections in place in the head. When servicing a well as the tubing is being raised the slips 21 are removed audit is then advisable to so lock the adapted in place to prevent the displacement of the adapter sections by the engagement of a tubing coupling therewith as the tubing is elevated. In fact in all cases when the adapter is in place and the packing 6 beneath is not in place it is advisable to so lock the adapter sections, while working in the well,to prevent the displacement of said sections and their possible falling into the well.

In locating a pump tubing, or flow line in a well it is sometimes desirable to locate a packing between the lower portion thereof and the walls of the well bore, or to provide a lead seal connection between the same and a liner in the well and in such case the tubing,

;vice to this work is illustrated in Figure 4 wherein the packing 6 is shown in position with the adapter sections 18 thereon and the slips 29 in the adapter in engagement with the tubing 8 to hold the same at the right location. The upper ends of these slips are beveled inwardly, as at 30, and a hold down ring 31 is mounted on the slips. This ring has a downwardly flared seat 32 which rests on the beveled portion 30 of the said slips 29. The head 1 has an external annular flange 33 having spaced marginal notches 34 and the hold down ringhas marginal notches25 which register with the notches 34. The hold down rods 25 may be swung around upwardly and seated in the corresponding notches 34, 35

and the wing nuts 36 then screwed onto the ends of said rods against the hold down ring 31 and the slips 29 securely held in place. WVhile handling the tube 8, in this form, with the slips 29 out, the rods 25 should be swung into their lower position so that the dogs 28 will lock the adapted sections in place.

When the piunp tubing or flow line 8 is suspended in the well and its lower end need not be located at any definite point this tublng, or line, may be suspended from the hanger 37. This hanger is in the form of a c0upling which connects the upper end of the tublng or line 8 to the pipe section 38 upstandlng from the hanger and on which the flow line connections above the hanger are supported. This hanger is formed with an annular hold down plate 39 having the marglnal notches 40, aligned with the notches 34,

7 and provided to receive the rods 25. The hanger is held down against the upper end of the adapter by the wing nuts 36 screwed onto the upper ends of the rods 25, and said o adapter is thereby held, firmly against the packing 6 beneath.

The ,drawings and description disclose what is'nowconsidered to be preferred forms of the invention by way of illustration only,

in while the broad principle of the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A casing head having'an annular inside seat and an annular,.upwardly facing inside shoulder above said seat, an adapter in the head seated on said shoulder and having an inside, downwardly tapering slip seat, a holddown plate above said adapter, hold down rods on the head having means which engage and interlock with the adapter when the rods are in one position and having means which engage the hold down plate when the rods are in another position.

2. A casing head having an inside packing seat and an inside adapter seat above the packing seat, an adapter on said adapter seat, a hold down plate above the adapter, tie members connected to said head and having means movable into position to engage said hold down plate and other means movable into position to engage the adapter.

3. A casing head having an inside packing seat and an inside adapter seat above the packing seat, an adapter on said adapter seat, a hold down plate above the adapter, tie members connected to said head and having means movable into position to engage said hold down plate and other means movable into position to engage the adapter, and an annular packing on said packing seat against which the adapter engages.

4. A casing head having an inside packing seat and an inside adapter seat above the packing seat, an adapter on said adapter seat, is a hold down plate above the adapter, tie members connected to said head and having means movable into position to engage said hold down plate and other means movable into position to engage the adapter, an annular 50 packing on said packing seat against which the adapter engages, an annular packing retained on said packing seat by said adapter and slips retained in said adapter by said hold down plate.

5. A casing head having an inside seat and a wall opening, an adapter in the casing head above said seat and having an external recess opposite said opening, a hold down rod pivoted on the head and having a locking dog movable through said opening and into said recess to lock the adapter in the head.

6. A casing head having aninside seat and a side'opening, an adapter in the head on said seat having an inside downwardly taper- 6 ing slip seat and an'external recess opposite said opening, a hold down rod on the head swingable into upper and lower positions and having a dog thereon movable through said opening into said recess when the rod is moved to its lower position.

7. A casing head having an inside seat and a side opening, an adapter in the head on said seat having an inside downwardly tapering slip seat and an external recess opposite said opening, a hold down rod on the head swingable into upper and lower positions and having a dog thereon movable through said opening into said recess when the rod is moved to its lower position, and tubing engaging slips in said slip seat,

8. In apparatus of the character described a casing head having internal annular upper and lower seats said head having a side opening above the upper seat, a hold down rod on the head provided with a dog which is normally held, by gravity pro]ected through said side openmg.

9. In apparatus of the character described a casing head having internal annular upper and lower seats said head having a side opening above the upper seat, a hold down rod on the head provided with a dog which is normally held, by gravity, projected through said side opening, and an annular packing on the lower seat.

10. In apparatus of the character described, a casing head having inside upper and lower seats and having a side opening above said upper seat, a hold down plate above the head, a hold down rod swingable on the head and having means engageable with said plate when the rod is in one position said rod also having a dog which projects through said opening when the rod is in another position.

' 11. In apparatus of the character described a casing head having a side opening, tubing anchoring means supported by the head and including a hold down plate and an adapter, hold down tie means on the head movable into one position into engagement with said plate and movable into another position into engagement with said adapter.

12. In apparatus of the character described a casing head having a side opening, tubing anchoring means supported by the head and including a hold down plate and an adapter, hold down tie means on the head movable into one position into engagement with said plate and movable into another position into engagement with said adapter, and an annular packer in the head beneath the adapter.

13. A casing head having an inside seat and annular packing on the seat, an adapter in the head on the packing, tubing anchoring the hold down plate and effective to hold said tubing anchoring means in place.

14. A casing head having a side opening and an inside seat, an annular packing on the seat, an adapter in the head on the packing, tubing anchoring mean-z above the packmg m engagement with the adapter, a tie.

member on the head having means which engages and secures said anchoring means in place, when said member is in one position, said tie member also having means which interlocks with the adapter when the tie member is in another position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JEDDY D. 'NDION. 

